Noncondensing panel for glazing



Jan. 29, 1935.

F. J. BARTUSKA ET AL NONCONDENSING PANEL FOR GLAZING Filed May 3. 1954 2Sheets-Sheet i F. J. BARTUSKA ET AL I 1,989,305

NONCONDENSING PANEL FOR GLAZING Filed May a. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Jan. 29, 1935 PATENT] o NONCONDENSING PANEL FOR GLAZINGFrankLBartuskaandEmilEBartnska,

Riverside, lll.

Application as a, 1034, Serial No. 12am 2 Claims.

Our present invention relates to the provision of a non-condensing orfog-proof panel of glass for glazing windows or display cabinets. We areaware that it has heretofore been suggested that condensation or foggingmay be prevented by providing spaced layers of glass, and fllling thespace between the layers of glass with a noncondensing, heat insulatingfluid, such as air, from which the moisture has been eliminated. Air,being an excellent heat insulator, will prevent the transmission of theheat from the warm side of the panel to the cool side and therebyprevent the reduction of the temperature of the plate of glass upon thewarm side to a temperature which would cause a precipitation of dew fromthe warm outside air to which the plate upon the warm side was exposed.The inclosed air in contact with the cool sheet or pane of glass will becooled in time and considerably reduced in volume, which reduction involume subjects both sheets or panes of glass to a pressure equal to thedifferential between the atmospheric pressure and the pressure of thereduced volume of gas or fluid between the two plates of glass.

Several means have been previo s Bulgested for compensating the changeof pressure between the two sheets of glass by adding to or subtractingfrom the volume of fluid between the panes of glass.

We manage to secure a compensation of all practical differences ofpressure developed in the practical use of such structures by spacingthe plates of glass so that they may move closer together or fartherapart as pressure changes occur, but we have found that in order toprevent too much movement'nf either plate of glass the spacer elementbetween the plates of glass should have suilicient strength and rigidityto assist in strengthening the panel as a whole and preventing themovement of one plate of glass from being amplified by the movement ofthe opposite plate of glass.

As will hereafter be seen, we form the spacer of stiff rails of suitabledimensions into or upon the sides of which are let or mounted strips ofcork, or other suitable resilient material which extend beyond the facesof the rails sufllciently far to permit the necessary movement of the!plates.

We have succeeded in producing non-condensing or fog-proof panels ofglass which have satisfactorily met all differences of temperature whichare likely to be encountered in the practical 'use of such devices bymeans of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Fig. 1 is a fragmental elevation of a window in which one of ournon-condensing or fog-proof panels is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental section through a bottom sash rail with which oneof our non-condensing panels is assembled.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of a display case in which one of ournon-condensing panels is mounted at an angle with the vertical.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail, to an enlarged scale, of the panel andsashassembly employed in the structure shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a comer of a panel mounting showing a way ofJoining the ends of the spacer rails. 1

Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail showing the mounting of one of ournon-condensing panels in an ordinary sash with putty, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmental detail, to an enlarg scale, of a panel and sashassembly with putty.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout therespective views.

We prefer to construct the panels by flrst pro-.

viding a frame of spacer rails 10, most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4 and5. The rails are preferslightly with the extent of the panel but inhardly.

any case need be more than three-quarters of an 'inch. Into the oppositefaces of the rails is preferably cut a rabbet or groove 11. The joiningends of the rails 10 are preferably rigidly secured together byinserting a feather piece 12 or by the use of other constructionemployed for a similar purpose. In the rabbets 11- are mounted,preferably, strips of cork 13 which extend sufficiently far beyond thevertical faces of the rails 10 to permit the necessary movement of theplates of glass 14. Other material may be employed than wood for formingthe rails 10 andany material of the desired flexibility may be employedin place of the strips of cork 13; Strips of rubber would have probablymore flexibility than cork,

but the flexibility of rubber varies greatly in accordance with thechanges of temperature to which it is submitted and the liability ofrubber to oxidize or otherwise change its composition would also greatlyeffect its flexibility, so that cork, so far as we at present know, hassumcient restorative properties for the purposes contemplated, and isless liable to alter with either temperature or the passage of time andwill therefore ing a leakageof the anhydrous gas and with much lessliability to breakage than the panes of glass employed would haveindependent of the assembly.

We have not illustrated any special facilities for introducing anhydrousgas or air between the plates 14 as there are so many ways in which thiscan be satisfactorily accomplished. It has been found that panelsconstructed as herein described do not fog even on excessively humiddays when most objects are .liable to some condensation.

The outer frame or sash serves to mount the panel where it is desired.Such frames or sash mounting of the panel may take almost any of theforms employed for sash and window frame construction.

We have shown 7 in Fig. 2 a semi-metallic mounting in which molded rails15 and 16 are faced on the top and forward edges with rolled metalplates 17, 18 and 19, and a molded metal stop 20 is drawn in to engagethe panel by screws 21. The panel heretofore described may also bemounted in display cases where the stops 22 are 'secured in position bysuitable instrumentalities, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or our panels maybe also mounted in frames or sash with putty or moulding 23 alone, asmost clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The flexibility provided by the layers of cork 13 has been foundsuflicient to take up all contraction and expansion occasioned bychanges of temperature without putting a destructive pressure upon theputty. In large panels where there is a. great surface exposed totemperature change one would pu aos naturally expect the development ofa consider- 'able aggregate pressure and considerable movement of theparts with relation to each other. However, the gas included between theplates of glass is always being heated from one side as it is beingcooled from the other, and by distributing the area where movement takesplace entirely around the periphery of the glass and between the pair ofstrips 13 movement in any particular place is.reduced to such an extentas to be completely and satisfactorily taken care of by the resiliencyof thecork.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A non-condensing glazing panel comprising a spacer frame composed ofrails of relatively noncompressible material secured rigidly together attheir junctures, strips of cork carriedby, let into, and extending fromthe lateral faces of said rails, plates of glass sealed to saidrespective strips of cork, and an anhydrous fluid provided between saidplates of glass.

2. A non-condensing glazing panel comprising a spacer frame composed ofrails of relatively noncompressible material secured rigidly together attheir junctures, strips of flexible elastic .material carried by andextending from the lateral faces of said rails, plates of glass sealedto said respective strips of elastic material, and an anhydrous fluidprovided between said plates of glass.

FRANK J. BAR'I'USKA. EMIL E. BARTUSKA.

